Complications and associated risk factors after surgical management of proximal femoral fractures

AimsThis work aimed at answering the following research questions: 1) What is the rate of mechanical complications, nonunion and infection for head/neck femoral fractures, intertro-chanteric fractures, and subtrochanteric fractures in the elderly USA population? and 2) Which factors influence adverse outcomes?MethodsProximal femoral fractures occurred between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019 were identified from the Medicare Physician Service Records Data Base. The Kaplan -Meier method with Fine and Gray sub-distribution adaptation was used to determine rates for nonunion, infection, and mechanical complications. Semiparametric Cox regression model was applied incorporating 23 measures as covariates to identify risk factors.ResultsUnion failure occured in 0.89% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83 to 0.95) after head/neck fracturs, in 0.92% (95% CI 0.84 to 1.01) after intertrochanteric fracture and in 1.99% (95% CI 1.69 to 2.33) after subtrochanteric fractures within 24 months. A fracture-related infec-tion was more likely to occur after subtrochanteric fractures than after head/neck fractures (1.64% vs 1.59%, hazard ratio (HR) 1.01 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.17); p < 0.001) as well as after intertrochanteric fractures (1.64% vs 1.13%, HR 1.31 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.52); p < 0.001). Anti-coagulant use, cerebrovascular disease, a concomitant fracture, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, open fracture, and rheumatoid disease was identified as risk factors. Mechanical complications after 24 months were most common after head/neck fractures with 3.52% (95% CI 3.41 to 3.64; currently at risk: 48,282).ConclusionThe determination of complication rates for each fracture type can be useful for informed patient-clinician communication. Risk factors for complications could be identified for dis-tinct proximal femur fractures in elderly patients, which are accessible for therapeutical treatment in the management.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the rates of mechanical complications, nonunion, and infection for different types of proximal femoral fractures in the elderly population in the USA, and to identify the factors that influence adverse outcomes. The study analyzed data from the Medicare Physician Service Records Database and found the complication rates and risk factors for distinct proximal femoral fractures.